Thursday, April 30, 2009

The PinchukArtCentre is currently featuring the art of Damien Hirst in an exhibit titled Requiem. The exhibit, considered a major Hirst retrospective, involves over 100 works by Damien Hirst dating from 1990 to 2009. The show brings together many of Hirst’s most renowned works which range from early iconic sculptures such as A Thousand Years (1990) to more recent works such as Death Explained (2007). The exhibit will come to a close on September 20th, 2009. For more information visit, www.pinchukartcentre.org.

The Tate Britain is currently exhibiting works by Mark Rothko and J.M.W. Turner. The exhibit, which is part of the BP British Art Displays, marks the first time that works by the two influential painters have been exhibited side-by-side. The exhibit reveals their similarities as well as their differences. It is always interesting to see the work of two artists from two very different generations exhibited at the same time. Needless to say, the exhibit is a unique experience. The exhibit will come to a close on July 26th, 2009. For more information visit, www.tate.org.uk.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Barbara Gladstone Gallery is currently featuring the art of Matthew Barney. The exhibit, titled ‘Ancient Evenings: Libretto,’ involves a series of drawings from a seven act opera that Barney is developing with composer Jonathan Bepler. The Barney & Bepler collaboration focuses on Norman Mailer’s novel Ancient Evenings-- a novel set in ancient Egypt that chronicles the journey of the dead. Thus, the opera explores the seven stages the soul passes through after bodily death according to Egyptian mythology.

Barney adds a twist by focusing on a 1967 Chrysler Imperial rather than the human body-- Egypt has been replaced by a contemporary industrial setting. The exhibit will come to a close on May 9th, 2009. For more information visit, www.gladstonegallery.com

In the last few days the following have been popular: rosenquist fire, appropriate media, artists and the recession, selling art online, birds of a feather flock together, offensive art, shepard fairy copyright infringement, and richard prince lawsuits.

Based on the art bloggers (and a handful of art site maintainers) I’ve spoken with here are some common keyword searches that people find their blog (or art site) with:

Interesting art keywords search in general -- how to be rich like damien hirst, did jeff koons buy show?, why does banksy do what he does?, banksy is more than one person?, how to be like banksy, how to be like shepard fairey, tracey emin in porn, damien hirst steals, picasso stolen art, how to be a rich artist, how to steal art, how to damage art, where to steal art, how to make art fakes, sell stolen art, cheat artists, art fraud, create fake art, sex art exhibit, is art school worthless?, art students are cheated, how to create art controversy?, how to live with an artist?, stop creating art

It is always interesting to check out the keywords that people use to find my blog-- if you have never done it you should! It can be good for a laugh or simpy to know what your readership is looking for. You would assume that people would find an art blog with searches for popular art news topics and the names of specific artists-- but that is not always the case.

In fact, Dion from Art News Blog recently posted about keywords and mentioned that 'hanging tits' is a common keywords search that people discover his art blog with. Feel free to share common keywords for your art blog. Be sure to include a link to your blog so we can see what all the 'search' is about.

This is Part 3 of my interview with Dominic Rouse. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

BS: What are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

DR: The internet is a wonderful marketing opportunity which I attempt to exploit as much as I can. As I live in a remote part of the world I could not operate effectively without it. It is now an accepted mode of business contact and a wonderfully immediate way in which to get work under the noses of those you think might be interested. Most of my sales and other leads are initiated via internet contact.

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

DR: Last year I shipped an exhibition to the States which was shown at a number of venues and has just finished its initial ‘tour’ with a four month showing at the 21c Museum in Louisville, KY curated by William Morrow, director of the International Contemporary Art Foundation.

‘Haunted by a Painter’s Ghost – Symbolism & Photography in the Digital Age’ is now available as a travelling exhibit aimed at University Museums where I hope it will form an interesting fit with their digital art departments as well as those of art history and mythology.

For those who may be interested www.hauntedbyapaintersghost.com has all the details of the exhibition including installation views, merchandising opportunities and shipping, insurance and rental information.

Beside this I will be exhibiting my work at Verve Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe NM in a joint show with Douglas Ethridge between March 19 and May 8 2010.

TEA DANCE by Dominic Rouse

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

DR: None that I did not already have before. The price of my work is far removed from the dizzy heights where an economic downturn affects me greatly and I am looking to the future with a degree of optimism.

BS: There have been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

DR: Well, I don’t take a newspaper and I don’t watch television so I am not the best person to be discussing current events. However, I do believe that an artist should have the right to benefit from the creation of his work and that laws should be in place that discourage others from using his work for their own financial gain without first seeking his permission.

I was pleased when the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act was passed in UK in 1988 and especially so as the Association of Photographers (of which I was a member) involved itself in the drafting stages, helping to safeguard the rights of photographers to control the use of their work.

All that having been said, my experience of the law is that it is the perverse plaything of the aggressive and that Lady Justice is a woman of easy virtue who is bought and paid for by rich and powerful men and then given, when least needed, to those least deserving of her. So I won’t be placing too much trust in any laws that do exist to protect my work from abuse.

SHULAMIT & MARY by Dominic Rouse

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

DR: My thinking is that now is the time for us artists to be working hard on our marketing efforts so that when the tide does turn and the economy starts to improve we will be in a strong position to take advantage of the opportunities that will inevitably become available to those who are ready and prepared to take them.

It is a frustrating reality of the art world that we need to spend at least as much time on our marketing plans as we do on making our work. I have found that as difficult as it can be to produce worthwhile imagery it is as nothing as compared to finding an audience for that work in the marketplace.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?

DR: To take a piece of paper, coat it with a gelatin in which are suspended a million silver halides and then to allow first light and then chemicals to caress it in such a way that they leave behind an imprint of one's soul is an exquisite joy that no amount of criticism can diminish. I do not have ambition as such, every completed piece is an ambition achieved.

This is the conclusion of my interview with Dominic Rouse. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE

This is Part 2 of my interview with Dominic Rouse. To return to Part 1 click, HEREBS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

DR: My work is regularly put into the surrealist bracket which I don’t necessarily agree with. I read an article recently in which I and other photographers producing “imaginative” work were described as The New Symbolists and I am much more comfortable with this designation.

However, I do admire the works of Magritte and Escher and their like and I guess their influence is evident in some of my work. There are occasions when my prints are mistaken for etchings and this I attribute more to their detailed tonal structure rather than the influence of any particular artist.

Perhaps it is literary rather than visual artists that I respond to. My work contains references to Kafka, Larkin, Nietzsche and John Martyn amongst others and their words have often been the starting points for images. Nietzsche particularly provides rich pickings. Strangely perhaps, photographers don’t particularly inspire me though I do appreciate the work of Witkin, Koudelka and the Parke-Harrisons.

DON'T WALK AWAY RENÉ by Dominic Rouse

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

DR: “When I lie, I am closer to the truth than documentary photography.” is a quote from the Czech photographer Tono Stano which in my view exposes superbly well the dichotomy of the camera. There is a tendency for people to believe the camera’s lies and advertising executives and newspaper editors exploit this delusion remorselessly.

The misguided belief in the veracity of the camera and the almost spiritual obligation placed on its practitioners to use it as a kind of adjunct to the Ten Commandments has, in my view, resulted in clamorous praise for many frankly uninteresting photographs.

A man may point his camera at the atrocities of war and earn the Pulitzer Prize, another may point his camera at sexual intimacy and earn himself a judge’s ire but what is war photography if it is not pornography for the power hungry perverts who demand the right to censor our lives?

That a work of art that is prohibited in a given age becomes in time valued and admired, informs us that the morality of today serves as no useful guide to the morals of tomorrow and further reveals the transient nature of the certainty which moralists of every age so confidently profess. There is no surer sign of ignorance than certainty and those who tell you that they have all the answers are quite simply not asking the right questions.

I am interested in the unseen and the obscene as an appreciation of the obscene leads to a greater understanding of beauty and the exploration of the hidden self leads to a greater understanding of others. Language limits our capacity to understand, art does not.

The point is that the censored camera is no more an instrument of truth then the mouth or the pen and to laud its dubious capacity for honesty is to undermine its higher values. We may use a paintbrush to paint the living room or decorate the Sistine Chapel and even the dullards amongst us can discern which of these is the greater achievement.

Simply put, the camera’s misleading association with ‘the truth’ has led to it being under-utilized and the time has arrived when we can at last use it to produce works of imagination that will in time bear comparison with the highest forms of art.

As an aside, one might argue that because of the prevalence of the camera and its overuse - because every day throughout the world millions of images are made by millions of people - the ability to produce a memorable image using a camera is a far greater achievement than to do so using paints, brushes and a canvas where competitors are fewer. Indeed, I sometimes wish that I could paint badly as there appears to be money in it.

ONCE A CATHOLIC by Dominic Rouse

BS: What are you working on at this time? Can you give our readers some insight into your current work?

DR: I have been in marketing mode for longer than I intended over the past few months and the production of new work has suffered accordingly. I don’t see myself working in themes or on particular projects. Whatever he may tell you to the contrary an artist is ultimately a spectator of self because there is no subject more revealing. I view the folio as an ongoing body of work which will presumably end with my demise or some less abrupt form of disability.

I don’t feel comfortable discussing work before it is completed but I would say that I have no immediate plans to change direction drastically as there is still much to explore within the current style of work.

Digital imaging tools are now providing the creative freedoms previously the reserve of painters and the fine art digital print is now regarded equally as favorably as the traditional darkroom photograph. The digital domain almost 're-invented' photography and has been embraced by those photographers who felt hampered by the technical constraints of the old analogue processes.

One such practitioner is the photographic artist Dominic Rouse, described by America's BW Magazine as a "master of digital manipulation" and whose superbly-crafted black and white silver prints were lauded by the editor of the British Journal of Photography as "masterpieces" when 'Haunted by a Painter's Ghost' was exhibited in London.

Brooks Jensen, the editor of LensWork Publishing described Rouse as "one of the most interesting photographic artists working today" and compared his photographs to the paintings of Pieter Bruegel, Hieronymus Bosch and René Magritte. Rouse's work is certainly dark in tone and has a visionary edge that does bear comparison with the likes of Bosch & Breugel but it goes beyond that.

His provocative fantasies provide endless opportunities for speculation and possess qualities that force the viewer to suspend both belief and disbelief in unison. His prints are not only challenging and alluring but are also impeccably crafted things of beauty providing seamless transitions between the world of contemporary digital art and the timeless qualities of large format photography.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION by Dominic Rouse

Brian Sherwin: Dominic, what can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?

Dominic Rouse: I didn’t study art as such but I did study photography for four years after completing my secondary education. On leaving school I took a year’s press photography course which led to a five year career in photojournalism and then I returned to college for three years to study commercial photography as I felt that I needed to broaden my horizons.

This second stint of my photographic education took place at the Blackpool & Fylde College of Further Education where I was fortunate to come under the tutelage of the ‘Blessed Trinity’ of Roger Goodwill, Gordon Read and most especially Geoff Clark who were each inspirational educators. Twenty-five years after leaving Blackpool I am still in touch with Geoff and many of the lessons I learned from him then remain valid today.

Another lecturer who deserves mention is Ted Gray who taught technology which was my special area of interest. It was at Blackpool under his guidance that I learned to make improbable imagery using multiple exposure techniques which gave me a pretty good living until the arrival of Photoshop.

LADIES-IN-WAITING by Dominic Rouse

BS: Tell us about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art?

DR: Now that is an excellent question! If we assume that press photography and advertising photography do not constitute “visual art” (and I don’t think they do) I would say that it wasn’t until twenty years into my photographic career that I was in a position to make the images that I really wanted to make. It was at that point in mid-1996 that I bought my first workstation and finally the images that filled my head and my sketchpads started to appear as two–dimensional realities.

Between 1996 and 2000 I effectively put my fine art on the back-burner while I built up a library of saleable stock imagery consisting largely of older commercial work revamped in the computer. In 2000/01 I finally gave up commercial work altogether and concentrated solely on my fine art prints.

ECCE HOMO by Dominic Rouse

BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

DR: I consider it my good fortune to have been ‘classically trained’ in the skills of the large format photographer and also among the first photographers to explore the potentials that the new digital tools have given us. It is my belief that the digital realm has granted to us photographers a freedom of expression previously reserved for painters and that this new freedom combined with the traditional photographic processes has the potential for great things.

Art is often defined as the search for truth and beauty and many an artist sets out to reveal the truth but quickly discovers that there is no such thing. He is left to give his honest impression of the lies which is the closest that Man has to a truth. An artist who is only interested in the truth will soon find himself unemployed. I would define my photographs as expositions of the fallacy we know as truth and I might add that beauty is measured in degrees of deceit, the greater the beauty the greater the deceit. Nonetheless, I am addicted to beauty though unfortunately I am a habit that beauty has managed to kick. It is comforting to consider that if all that existed was beautiful, beauty would cease to exist.

Perhaps my images have the potential for truth as they are inaccurate representations of reality.

GO-BETWEEN by Dominic Rouse

BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

DR: My images are produced as toned silver gelatin prints in limited editions of eight and sixteen. They are hand-made in a traditional 'wet' darkroom using an enlarger and photographic paper developed and then bleached and toned using chemical solutions.

When collecting the elements that I need to compose an image I shoot on colour transparency material because it is much more scanner friendly than negative material which is designed to be projected onto photographic paper and has a coarser composition which shows up all too readily as granularity in high resolution drum scans.

Once all the elements have been digitized then the compositing begins. When finished, the file is written to black and white negative material using a film recorder which is essentially the scanning process in reverse.This film is processed in the usual way and from the resulting negative the prints are made.

It might be worth mentioning that digital negatives are often better than those made in a camera because of the controls that imaging software offers. One obvious advantage is the 'sharpening' filter which, used with discretion, produces a crisper negative that contributes enormously to print quality.

To read Part 2 of my interview with Dominic Rouse click, HERE Take care, Stay true,

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I have reported on the Wikipedia Art project since its ‘birth’. The project itself, as well as the communication I had with artist Scott Kildall and Nathaniel Stern, interested me. Due to my interest I have been very close to the story. In fact, at one time a few bloggers confused me for one of the projects ‘fathers’. Thus, I feel that it is important to reveal updates to the story as they come in. If anything you could say I’m a supportive ‘participant’ of the Wikipedia Art project as a whole.

I was informed of the project earlier this year when artist Nathaniel Stern, a fellow www.myartspace.com member, contacted me about an ‘Internet-based and interventionist project’ that he and Scott Kildall had been working on. Stern informed me that the project would be titled "Wikipedia Art," and that the project is art that exists only on Wikipedia. I found the project to be intriguing because technically it is art that anyone can edit-- a mass collaborative project that welcomes all.

At the time Stern explained to me, “The caveat, of course, is that the piece needs to follow the enforced rules on Wikipedia. Any changes to the art must be cited from 'credible' external sources: interviews, blogs, or articles in 'trustworthy' media institutions, which birth and then slowly transform what it is and does and means simply through their writing and talking about it.”. He added, “It may start as an intervention, turn into an object, die and be resurrected, etc, through what we've started calling "performative citations.".

Needless to say, the Wikipedia Art project did not last long on Wikipedia. The project, or at least that aspect of the project, was ’dead’ in under 24 hours. Thus, Kildall and Stern documented the project-- its process and outcome-- on their own website-- www.wikipediaart.org. Unfortunately, their project has not been well received by the Wikimedia Foundation. In fact, reports state that they have been threatened with legal action.

According to the Ars Technica website-- backed by contact I’ve had with Kildall and Stern-- artist Scott Kildall received a letter in March from Douglas Isenberg, counsel for the Wikimedia Foundation. Isenberg demanded that the wikipediaart.org domain be transferred to the Wikimedia Foundation. Due to the letter Kildall and Stern sought legal help from James Martin. Martin sent a reply to Isenberg on the behalf of Kildall and Stern.

In the letter Martin noted that the wikimediaart.org site did not claim to be connected with or endorsed by Wikipedia in any way and that the site was not being used for any commercial purpose. Martin stated, "We are disappointed by Wikimedia's efforts to suppress free speech by threatening legal action,". However, Isenberg’s replies apparently made it clear that the Wikimedia Foundation would not accept Kildall and Stern’s project as a mere critique or art project.

According to Kildall and Stern, Wikimedia Foundation threatened to take the case to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and hinted at further legal action. In fact, Isenberg mentioned a past legal issue involving another site-- a scare tactic. The pressure was on-- Kildall and Stern sought further help from a number of sources, including the Fair Use Project and Lawrence Lessig-- FUP and Lessig offered advice, but refused to help directly. The duo than made contact with Paul Levy of the Public Citizen Litigation Group-- who accepted the case on a pro bono basis if the issue goes to litigation. Levy is noted for having worked to defend fair use of trademark names in the past.

According to reports, Levy’s position is that the Wikimedia Foundation is trying to “skirt US law” due to the fact that they are fully aware that legal precedents strongly suggest that Kildall and Stern’s Wikipedia Art project, including the domain name wikipediaart.org, are protected by free speech and fair use grounds. Needless to say, Levy has made it clear that if the Wikimedia Foundation files a UDRP claim against the Wikipedia Art site he will seek a declaratory judgment of non-infringement on behalf of Kildall and Stern. In response to the Wikimedia Foundation’s attorney, Mike Godwin, Levy stated, “We are not willing to allow this dispute to be resolved by reference to private law instead of the law of the United States that governs both your client and mine.".

Mike Godwin, the attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation, has stated that no litigation was threatened or commenced. In fact, Godwin informed Ars Technica that there was never a threat of legal action against Kildall or Stern. Godwin insists that he contacted the artists on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation in order to request that a disclaimer-- stating that the Wikimedia Foundation is not associated with the site-- be added to www.wikipediaart.org.

Godwin stated, "The possibility of a disclaimer is inherent in the suggestion that we resolve our differences amicably,". However, as reported by Ars Technica, none of Isenberg’s correspondence-- who originally contacted Kildall and Stern on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation-- mentions anything about a disclaimer request nor does the Isenberg correspondence state that a disclaimer would be a possible resolution in regards to the dispute.

Obviously, if you go by reports, the Wikimedia Foundation is flip-flopping on the situation. As for Scott Kildall and Nathaniel Stern-- they have support. Ars Technica and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have both showed support for the Wikipedia Art project and the issue over the domain name wikipediaart.org. In fact, Corynne McSherry of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has stated that she is disappointed with Wikipedia over the issue. It should be noted that the Electronic Frontier Foundation has represented Wikipedia in the past in support of free speech.

As it stands it seems that the situation is in legal limbo. The Wikimedia Foundation has yet to withdraw its original letter-- so the threat of facing legal action is still a reality for Scott Kildall and Nathaniel Stern. The situation has not been good for the Wikimedia Foundation’s image either-- bloggers have pointed out the contradictions and hypocrisy involved with this specific situation. After all, Wikipedia would not exist if it were not for free speech and 'fair use'.

That is the key point to remember when thinking about this situation-- the fact that Wikipedia would not exist if it were not for free speech and the defense of 'fair use'. If Wikimedia Foundation were to pursue legal action against Kildall and Stern it would potentially establish a legal precedent that would work against Wikipedia in the future-- which might be why the situation is in legal limbo.

Anyone who follows the Myartspace Blog knows that I take a hard stance in support of copyright and trademark law. However, I also support the concept of "fair use" as long as it is not an extreme interpretation of the defense. In this situation we have two artists who have commented on-- and made parody of-- a widely known website. Thus, I would say that the actions of Scott Kildall and Nathaniel Stern fall under the defense of "fair use". They are not making profit from the Wikipedia Art project or wikipediaart.org-- they are simply offering a critique of a widely known website. This is a prime example of why we have "fair use" in the first place.

That said, it is not hard to find companies and organizations that expect all or nothing interpretations of ‘fair use’ until another individual or entity expects it of them. The fact that this specific situation involves a ‘fair use’ hassle from the Wikimedia Foundation-- which relies on the defense of 'fair use'-- comes as a surprise to individuals who, up until now, were supportive of Wikipedia in general.

The Wikipedia Art project article has been removed from Wikipedia, but an article detailing the Wikipedia Art controversy has recently appeared on the site. Which begs the question-- why would the Wikimedia Foundation-- which prides itself on free speech and open knowledge-- consider taking legal action against two artists in a way that would stifle free speech and hinder 'fair use' as we know it in the first place?

Gagosian’s Chelsea Gallery in New York is currently featuring an exhibit titled, Picasso: Mosqueteros,. The exhibit focuses on paintings created by Picasso during the last years of his life. The exhibit is considered a survey of Picasso’s late life as it examines his thought process from 1962 to his last productive year, 1972. The exhibit was made possible due to backing from Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, Museo Picasso, The Museum of Modern Art, and a number of other private collections. The exhibit will come to a close on June 6th, 2009. For more information visit, www.gagosian.com

Paula Cooper Gallery is currently featuring the art of conceptual artist Sophie Calle. The exhibit involves Calle coming to terms with a lover’s breakup via email. Calle has used the traumatic experience as a way to explore issues of intimacy clashing with mass technology. In the past Sophie Calle has explored similar themes. For example, she once hired a private detective to follower her at her own request in order to document the experience. The exhibit will come to a close on May 22nd, 2009. For more information visit, www.paulacoopergallery.com

Monday, April 27, 2009

This is Part 3 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

BS: Morgan, what are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

MS: I think embracing technology as a tool is inevitable and necessary, and self promotion is and always has been a very important aspect to any artist. It is important to move the arts and artists out of a system were it was all too contained.

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

MS: I have serious concerns about the world in general, but the art world will soldier on. Artists can be very resourceful people.Big Chicken by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

MS: I am not sure why a copyright would restrict creativity. I don’t entirely subscribe to the Creative Commons argument. I think an artist should reserve the right to give up the right, if that makes sense.

Red Apple by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

MS: Adapting to your environment is key to any kind of survival. It is important to not become too comfortable. Changing studios, can be pretty traumatic in itself. I would never discount financial concerns when discussing the artistic practice, but recessions have a way of turning into very productive periods when you are not chasing money.

BS: Finally, do you have a personal website that you would like to share with our readers?

This is Part 2 of my interview with Morgan Riccilli Slade. To return to Part 1 click, HERE

BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

MS: The energy and freedom that was present in the American art of the 60’s and 70’s would be an undeniable influence, but it would be hard for me to pin down any defining piece or artist. Music plays a big role. Refine : refract 7 Crystal Skull, for example, takes the song by the metal band Mastodon and reduces it to a series of tones and then builds it back into an ambient soundscape. I also like Picasso, Krautrock and the Baroque period.

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Is there one? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

MS: I don’t think that I have a specific message. What I am more interested is presenting a different way of looking at a something that already has an established dialog. It is however, important for final result, no matter how conceptual, to work on an aesthetic level. I like beauty. Butterflies by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: What are you working on at this time?

MS: Currently, I am prepping a showing of refine : refract 1. The central video component has been finished for a year and now I am adding some serigraphs and dry pigment prints. The video is a a series of 500 illustrations that play in sequence beginning with a black frame, building up to a complete image, and slowly disintegrating to a black image again.

The soundtrack is an abstracted version of 'Claire de Lune' by Debussy. The prints add to theme by referencing a Bergamask and A Summer Night’s Dream.

Refract 7 Crystal Skull by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: I assume you are exhibiting at this time?

MS: I currently have work in two venues in the Bay Area and am hoping to launch a salon style artist space near the end of the summer with refine : refract 1.

The work of Morgan Riccilli Slade is at once mysterious and seductive. His large paintings engage viewers with rich visual storytelling. Bold, bright colors layered and woven around seeming disparate images pop off the canvas. Nostalgic silhouettes referencing childhood lend a sweet tone to otherwise satirical social messages. At first benign, they innocently urge you closer until the narrative surfaces.

Slade's works on paper and video balance a keen sense of history and photographic nostalgia while capturing a modern elegance and bold graphic style.

Morgan Riccilli Slade studied Fine Art, Photography and Photographic Theory at the University of California at Santa Cruz. After graduating in 1991 he has exhibited work in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose, and continues to work in multiple mediums in art and design.

Morgan Riccilli Slade was one of 50 finalists of the myartspace.com Bridge Art Fair Miami competition. Slade was chosen by the myartspace.com panel of jurors-- which included, Elisabeth Sussman, Senior Curator, the Whitney Museum; Janet Bishop, Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); JoAnne Northrup, Senior Curator, San Jose Museum of Art; and Michael Workman, Founder of Bridge Art Fair. His work was represented digitally by www.myartspace.com at Bridge Wynwood in 2008.

Morgan Slade: I grew up in Los Angeles and got a degree in Studio Art at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1991 after doing some studying at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. The University was a great place to study at the time because the art department was totally at odds with itself.

What was always an academic and traditional program, albeit a strong one, under the direction of Victor Burgin, it was being questioned. All of the sudden we were studying Roland Bartes, Umberto Eco, semiotics, and photography theories. It was all very exciting, and allowed for us extend dialog regarding our work, but did cause tension with professors teaching from a more formal and aesthetic perspective.

BS: At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art? Did you have early influences?

MS: My grandmother is an avid painter and my parents were involved with the film industry growing up so I think there was a natural progression more importantly, support. The main struggle I had was trying to settle on a medium, which never happened so I work with several.

Refine : Refract 2 D100 by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: Morgan, can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your work? Perhaps you can tell us about your refine : refract series?

MS: I think that the best place to start would be the refine : refract series. These works are about the deconstruction and modification of a sign, and re-construction with a very purposeful re-presentation of image and concept. Memorial and nostalgia are also ongoing themes.

One of the main things I got from studying under Victor Burgin, and we did not talk about art as craft very much, was to draw on varied references to come to a singular, distilled conclusion. Refine : refract begins conceptually and builds to a tangible product.

The mediums vary and in some cases utilize more than one. I feel that it is important to remember however, that we are dealing with a visual and sometimes aural medium that engages a viewer and needs to be ‘read’, so aesthetic values do play a role in the finished product.

I also enjoy working in a much more non objective and more singular manner were the image comes first and the final piece is more about graphic quality and immediate impact. Float by Morgan Riccilli Slade

BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

MS: While refine : refract is open to employing elements of video, photography, audio and the kitchen sink, and the work is created over a longer period, a piece like Float which is made with dry pigment in enamel is designed to be a more physical process.

Most of the design is prep work and the final piece is made quickly, like a negative being burned into photo paper. The result is an image that appears to be simultaneously coming together as is falling apart only to hold on for a moment.

It is important for me to work in a physical manner also, because sitting in front of a computer making still images into a moving film can be tedious. I tend to work on several things at one time so I am constantly switching back and forth.

This is Part 3 of my interview with LeRoy Howard. To return to Part 2 click, HERE

BS: What are you working on at this time? Can you give our readers some insight into your current work?

LH: The Last Supper Project is ongoing. I have completed four pieces, numbering 12 images, and am considering one more piece, bringing the total number of images to 13, or perhaps 14. I model each piece after an existing work of art, some quite closely as in the Last Supper and others are more loosely built on the target image.

As I look at the classic paintings, sculpture and photography I hope to create a larger dialogue with them, bringing them forward in time and hopefully make them as relevant today as when they were first made. All my work is shot in black and white, against a black backdrop which isolates the action and abstracts the human interaction, which I hope offers a more universal reading to the emotional narrative within each piece. I have tried some in color, but am not convinced it would have the power I find in the black and white prints.

Yet I take my inspiration from personal experiences and it is that which brings life and power to the images for me. And all these pieces, in one way or another, explore a variety of emotions revolving around loss, grief, doubt, despair, and betrayal. Not the upside of human emotion, but perhaps it is the power of this side that holds my attention.

BS: What are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

LH: Initially I thought of using the web, by creating my own web-site, as an extension of my portfolio in order to show people my work. Since that time the internet has become much more central in responding to calls for exhibition as well as sharing my work with galleries, curators and other artists. Then with the development of sites like MyArtSpace the chance came up to engage with other artists, viewing and discussing their work and in return getting their reactions to mine.

My main conviction in making art is the notion that it is a dialogue and that my job is not complete until I hear back from someone. I make the art, someone sees it and they respond. Then the circle is complete. There is that sense of connection that the internet makes happen in a way that is very difficult for most artists who do not have gallery representation to receive. Even when we get our work into a show, it is not often possible to gain a viewer’s thoughtful response, and so the internet has really changed things in this regard.

The Last Supper Project, 1-4 by LeRoy Howard

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

LH: I certainly hope so! There are a number of calls for work I am responding to and I am also working with another Bay Area photographer, preparing an exhibition proposal for a two-person show.

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

LH: Looking at the photographic gallery scene I’d like to see things loosen up. There seem to be rather narrow ideas of what they expect to bring to the market and the sort of creative imagery that I work with doesn’t seem to elicit much interest.

In many markets the number of galleries you can approach are limited. However, in the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley, etc.) there seems to be a renewal of the gallery scene with a lot of small scruffy galleries open to a great variety of materials, ideas and approaches. So there is hope.

BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

LH: Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought. I think an artist should be able to protect their work and the marketability of that work, particularly in the internet age when often what one has is an image of that work. But I recognize that things get fuzzy when one artist quotes another, or borrows an image and reworks it, like the Shephard Fairey piece on President Obama. Since I do “quote” some of the classics maybe I’m wandering over to the other side of that issue.

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

LH: Well, Polaroid has gone out of business and I used a lot of their product working out my staging and angles and such. But Fuji instant film seems to be working to fill that gap. Oh, and I will dearly miss their Type 55 PN, which produces the most seductive B&W negative I’ve seen. I will mourn that! Other than that, I can’t say I’ve changed how I work or had to adapt because of the present economic situation.

The Last Supper Project, 1-5 by LeRoy Howard

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?

LH: I try to focus on creating meaning by developing an emotional connection with the viewer. It is the human element that is most powerful for me and figures centrally in my images. I find the human figure creates an emotionally immediate connection, and I feel the nude presents a primal quality and a sense of timelessness.

In my more recent work I have been exploring the use of facial expressions that more directly present emotion and point to a narrative. My work has always suggested a narrative context, but now I purposely build that sense and open it up for the viewer to join. Perhaps I am inviting people to connect with one another, rebelling against so much abstraction in art or a coldness and alienation that comes from the “deadpan” school.

This is the conclusion of my interview with LeRoy Howard. To return to Part 1 of the interview click, HERE

This is Part 2 of my interview with LeRoy Howard. To return to Part 1 click, HERE BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

LH: I photograph with a 4” x 5” camera, using film and make in-camera multiple exposures. As my background is in traditional photography I hold myself to the technological constraints that come with film. I discovered during earlier work that one can photograph the body many times over on the same sheet of film if the background is black. Each body appears to hold it’s full form and substance. The only bleed-through comes when the bodies superimpose on each other, which gives rise to some wonderful juxtapositions and physical relationships.

Many have suggested that I could just as easily make the photographs individually and digitally combine them, but that doesn’t interest me. There is something about the process of staging and practicing to get the body in just that right place so the two or three characters portrayed in a given photograph are seen engaging with one another. It is almost like staging a play or a performance piece, then shooting that. There is something about the calm discipline as I set up and imagine the characters and their emotional state that is as gratifying to me as the completed image.

And the gifts of the overlaps and overlays are such that I could not think to do it in Photoshop. There is a magic involved in working this way and when I see the juxtapositions of body to body, the overlap of one blending into another, the piercing of flesh by flesh, I find myself drawn on and overwhelmed with the final image.

Beyond capturing the image, I am looking into alternative printing processes. I began making gelatin silver prints, but now (out of necessity) many of my prints are digitally made. I have taken workshops for printing in bromoil, platinum/palladium and photo-graveure, and plan on producing editions in one or more of these media.

Under Construction, No. 1 by LeRoy Howard

BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

LH: This is a more difficult question to consider. I know of many artists that photograph themselves, but don’t think I can claim them as influences. I think we have just happened upon a particular technique that works for us. I recall reading an interview with Cindy Sherman where she said something that reflected my own thinking. In effect, “I’m easy to work with and I’m always around.” I don’t have to communicate my ideas to another. I can just let it flow through my body and mind and see what the camera captures.

Early on I saw an image by Joel Peter Witkin where he had set up an amazing tableau using up to five or six people in the image along with painted backdrops, furniture and built sets. I came away from that with the idea that it was o.k. to set it up, to stage it. Once could pursue their ideas and create meaning by setting it all up. There was a great deal of freedom in this idea. It felt as though I was given permission to abandon the constraints of standard photography.

One artist I greatly admire, as he does build meaning in a variety of ways and is fully photographic in his approach is the Japanese photographer, Eikoh Hosoe. If I am influenced by others, it is by studying their work where I discover that I can give myself permission to do something different, that there are no constraints on my ideas or approaches.

My main influences come from classical painting and sculpture as well as modern dance. I suppose my greatest influence is the time I spent living and visiting Japan, where I first saw Butoh avant-garde dance. Butoh has had a long-lasting influence on my work, probably lending it a sense of darkness, nudity and dramatic narrative.

Under Construction, No. 4 by LeRoy Howard

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

LH: Not sure I intend this as a message or a philosophy, but I think my work does explore and celebrate our emotional, and perhaps spiritual being. I want to elicit an emotional involvement on the part of the viewer. I aim at the senses so that there is no question in their mind that there is something to feel and that makes them alive.

While I know that the components of my images may have specific meaning, I leave the overall meaning of the piece or image to the viewer. And while they may not be able to construct a narrative, I don’t think they are left wondering that there is a reason for the image. So much of modern photography, some call “deadpan,” seems purposely devoid of emotion and meaning, beyond apparently saying, “this is what is here”, and frankly, that doesn’t resonate for me.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, LeRoy Howard is a fine-art photographer, based in Berkeley, California. LeRoy photographs himself, nude, with Japanese dance masks, fans and other cultural artifacts. He constructs in-camera multiple exposures into dreamlike or psychological narratives, improvising within unfinished construction and various rooms in his home.

Since 2002 he has shown his work in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Kobe and Sakai, Japan. His recent work explores the uses of narrative and the personal experience within the built space in defining the self.

St. Sebastian, No. 5 by LeRoy Howard

Brian Sherwin: LeRoy, you were selected for representation at the NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA. As you know, NYAXE Gallery is operated by the founders of www.myartspace.com and www.nyaxe.com and serves as a way to bridge the online and physical art world. Why did you decide to submit your work for consideration?

LeRoy Howard: While I have been fairly successful in getting my work into juried shows around the country and in Japan I hadn’t been paying attention to the Bay Area gallery scene. The NYAXE Gallery looked like a great opportunity to get to know a new gallery in the Bay Area. Additionally, I liked the idea of the connection between the web-based networking site and a physical gallery. It also appealed to that perverse part of my nature.

For some time now bricks-and-mortar shops and galleries have been putting up web-sites to help expand their reach and promote their efforts. In this case I saw a web-based enterprise setting up a physical gallery to help expand their market reach. I admire an operation that looks at all possible avenues to reach their market and expand their consumer base.

Lastly, I have enjoyed the web-site a great deal, met many artists and engaged in some interesting conversations about our art. This chance to talk to other artists is something hard to come by. I work by myself in my studio and don’t get out much. So I felt good about the NYAXE gallery invitation.

St. Sebastian, No. 2 by LeRoy Howard

BS: What can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?

LH: I have minimal formal training in art, nor have I and received an BFA or MFA. In my early years I studied design at a pre-architecture curriculum at Texas A&M University before taking a year to study art at the University of Houston. I did not complete the program and eventually moved to Alaska where I took up with a 35mm Pentax and began teaching myself how to photograph the landscape and small towns of Southeast Alaska.

I devoured books and magazines and more or less taught myself the rudiments of photography. At that time I’m sure I was influenced by Ansel Adams, given the nature of scenery in Alaska. Yet I’m sure I was studying other artists as I have strong memories of photographing the small towns, and playing with the odd effects one gets from industrial light sources.

Years later, in 1991, I moved to Japan and began studying with a number of professional photographers, most notably Tim Porter who runs the Tokyo Photo Workshops. He is a rigorous photographer who knows just about everything there is to know about the craft and technology of photography.

After settling in the Bay Area in 2001 I took a number of workshops from well-known Bay-Area photographers such as Judy Dater and Frank Espada.

BS: Tell us about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art?

LH: I suppose I began to challenge myself when I lived in Alaska, but it wasn’t until I began taking workshops in Japan that I began to explore the idea of creating imagery and building meaning, moving beyond the basic idea of reportage, landscape and street photography.

Since 1991 I have been pushing myself to develop a multi-layered sense of meaning and it seems that I am beginning to think more like an artist who uses photographic technology rather than a photographer who captures a scene imbued with meaning. At the heart of my work is the desire to communicate with the larger culture through the meaning created in my images. Kneeling Maiden by LeRoy Howard

BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

LH: I have developed a certain technique in creating meaning in my work, which is that I photograph myself, usually nude, and sometimes with Japanese dance masks, native American tribal masks, and other artifacts. This comes from my deep awareness and fascination with the idea that our being, or our identity, is separate from our bodies.

Our sense of self is independent of the physical and this understanding has allowed me to put myself within the work without feeling that the work is about me. I see myself more as an actor or technician helping to stage the work and less as the director, though I set the thing in motion. Since I am in front of the lens when the image is taken, I really have this sense that I am a participant in a larger process.

I give a lot of thought to what the body is doing in the image and what is communicated to the viewer. I understand the iconic value and what may be communicated by various poses and attitudes the body can take. Initially I borrowed easily found poses like that of kneeling in prayer or contemplation to the cruciform pose, knowing that on a cultural level the meaning inherent in these poses would say something to the viewer. Even when the image wasn’t overtly religious.

I think this comes from an early exposure to renaissance art which almost totally is made up of religious imagery. And so I find many of the attitudes my body takes can be traced to religious imagery. Yet, I wanted to move beyond these easy targets and develop a repertoire of more natural poses that provided the foundation for including facial expression, which began as part of the process with this current project.

I’m calling my current body of work, “The Last Supper Project.” Following a year of taking classes at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, one of which was an Art and Religion class I came up with the initial idea of conducting a theological exploration by re-presenting Leonardo’s Last Supper. I divided the picture into five images and posed myself, nude in all the roles.

What I found when I looked at the work was a strong representation of outpouring emotion, in this case male expression. Reflecting that this work was based on a narrative that dealt with betrayal, loss and grief I saw the opportunity to explore male emotional expression and communicate this to the viewer. The work that has come after is loosely based on iconic artwork, whether photographic, sculptural or painted, and inspired by the illness, decline and eventual loss of my father.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas is currently featuring an exhibition titled FOCUS: Rosson Crow. The exhibit involves a small collection of Crow’s grand-scale paintings. The exhibit marks Rosson Crow’s first solo exhibition in a museum. In the past her work has shown at Deitch Projects, New York and White Cube, London. The exhibit will come to a close on May 17, 2009. For more information visit, www.mamfw.org.

Pace Wildenstein gallery in New York is currently featuring the art of Alex Katz. The exhibit involves a new series of ten large-scale landscape paintings. Katz created the paintings on linen and canvas with the goal of capturing the essence of twilight and sunset. Katz has stated that in his new series of paintings he has “found” his own eyes. In other words, Katz feels that he has broke away from his influences. The exhibit is titled Fifteen Minutes. The paintings will be on exhibit at Pace Wildenstein gallery until June 13th, 2009. For more information visit, www.pacewildenstein.com.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Nick Weber is known for carving figures out of the darkness. His illuminating artwork creates a nocturnal narrative that is established by night lights or the glow of a lit cigarette. Painting in oil on canvas, Weber explores issues such as class, sexuality, and the fragility of male self-esteem. Viewers have described Weber as a modern day Rembrandt. He studied art at Stanford University. Nick Weber was recently selected for representation at the NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA.

Further Lane by Nick Weber

Brian Sherwin: Nick, you were selected for representation at the NYAXE Gallery in Palo Alto, CA. As you know, NYAXE Gallery is operated by the founders of www.myartspace.com and www.nyaxe.com and serves as a way to bridge the online and physical art world. Why did you decide to submit your work for consideration?

Nick Weber: So many galleries in the country go with trends or marketability, so I felt that Catherine and Brian were making a brave choice by allowing the submissions to determine what kind of show they would architect. I was also drawn to the idea that the work would be exhibited in Palo Alto.

I graduated from Stanford in 1993, and worked as a chef at St. Michael's Alley, a cafe next to the gallery space. It was at St, Mike's that I had my very first art show, back in 1994, so it was amazing to me that 15 years later I would participate in a show not 200 feet from there (in a space where we used to store large vats of olive oil and whatnot -- I was actually offered that space as a studio in June of '94 but headed back east instead). In addition, many of my night landscapes are set in Palo Alto. These night scenes should be recognizable to people who live in the old part of town.

Seated Figure by Nick Weber

BS: What can you tell us about your academic background concerning art? Did you study art formally? Tell us about your art studies in general-- any influential instructors?

NW: At Stanford I studied with Nathan Oliveira, who was head of the art department there until 1996, and a close friend of Richard Diebenkorn. He is a wonderful painter, and an inspiring and patient teacher. He has always told us that the art is a lifetime pursuit, one that required persistence.

That was a hard thing to understand, but 20 years later I'm seeing how ideas that seemed disconnected when I was in college are finally starting to connect -- like night paintings and reduction.

BS: Tell us about yourself. At what point did you gain an interest in creating visual art?

NW: I could draw very well as a kid. In 1978 I won the Kelloggs stick up for breakfast contest by drawing snap, crackle, and pop -- I got a Schwinn bike in the deal, my first 10-speeder. In high school I was more into music and sports, but my freshman year at college I took a drawing class and I felt like I had re-found myself after wandering around lost for years. It was an amazing feeling, and my teacher was very encouraging

Byron St., Palo Alto by Nick Weber

BS: Can you tell us about your art? Give us some insight into the thoughts behind your art.

NW: My work comes from my own life. If I paint because I feel sad or lonely, or am overcome by a lovely woman or an enchanting glimpse of a night landscape then I know it comes from a true place. The series of porn paintings took me years to get the courage to do. I felt bad and dirty at first and worried what people would think of me. Now I feel proud that I overcame that and put the work out there into the world -- it took guts. My current series is more like straightforward portraiture, but I'm trying to simplify the paintings, and stay away from being illustrative.

BS: Can you discuss your process in general? Are there any specific techniques that you utilize?

NW: I have been painting from life as much as possible these days. I love working from photographs at times, especially with the night paintings, because it's pretty difficult to paint at night on location in the dark -- hard to see well. But the photos are tricky, they like to take over. It helps to remember that they are merely reference materials.

Working from life gives the work an urgency, forces you to figure out what it is you're trying to say. I've been using walnut alkyd oil as a medium, and using a rag to get the effect of light.

22nd St., Chelsea by Nick Weber

BS: What about other influences? For example, are you influenced by any specific artists?

NW: One of my favorite painters is Balthus. I admire his sense of humor, the eroticism of his pictures, and his sensual and direct application of paint. I went to the Met a few months ago and was mesmerized by a Derain still life, and Braque's cubism. Lucien Freud amazes me because I think he keeps getting better, and he's like 106 years old...

I love Munch's work because it is so very personal and tells stories without being narrative. Giacometti is so honest -- doesn't give much of a crap about color, and I've heard he sometimes painted for 48 straight hours. I listen to quite a bit of Dylan when I paint, because he creates a visual world in his songs, and reminds us that imagination and reality meet.

BS: So what is the specific message you strive to convey to viewers? Do you adhere to a specific philosophy as far as your work is concerned?

NW: Mostly I want people to look at the paintings and think 'this has to do with me'. I want people to see a night landscape and think about a romantic time they had, or a portrait and think -- I know that guy. I often hear people say 'I'd never want a painting of someone I don't know in my house." I think that's the lamest thing I've ever heard. If you have the painting in your house for a while you will know the person.

Besides, we walk down the street and immediately have opinions about the people we pass. And after enough years on the planet we should understand universal humanity. That's mostly what it's about, that and sexuality.

BS: What are you working on at this time? Can you give our readers some insight into your current work?

NW: As I mentioned above, I've been working from life lately, straightforward portraiture, but simplified. I'm trying to let go of the impulse to make things pretty. That doesn't mean I am interested in distortion, like John Currin. I believe that that get back to illustration. But I have always found myself 'correcting', or cleaning up my 'mistakes'. I'm trying to resist that urge, and put out something that is more raw, to trust my hand more than my brain.

BS: What are your thoughts concerning the internet and utilizing the World Wide Web in order to gain exposure for your art? In your opinion, why is it important for artists to embrace the internet?

NW: I have always adored looking at paintings in art books. Going to museums is special, but a good reproduction can really introduce people to an image in a very intimate and profound way. Now that we have the internet, this process can go way beyond printed reproduction. We all grew up listening to music that was proliferated through radio, etc. You didn't have to see a band in concert to know all their songs. In this same way, the internet helps us get our imagery out there to connect with a much larger audience.

Standing Figure by Nick Weber

BS: Will you be involved with any upcoming exhibits?

NW: I currently have work at John McWhinnie's gallery on east 64th st in Manhattan, and will be showing at The Fireplace Project in East Hampton, NY this summer, as well as at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller, also in East Hampton this summer.

BS: Do you have any concerns about the art world at this time?

NW: Sure. I worry that very personal work is passed over in favor of hip or happening work. Having lived in west Chelsea on 26th st and 11th ave for 10 years, I had a chance to walk into galleries every day. I'm always looking for that basic, human, emotional connection. Sometimes I found it, but often I saw work that seemed very cold, and afraid of being vulnerable.

BS: There has been several stories involving copyright infringement in the mainstream press as of late. What is your stance on copyright? Do you see strong copyright as a reflection of artist rights in general? Or do you feel that copyright restricts creativity? Do you have a stance on this issue?

NW: Copyright issues have not affected me very much, but I think we need to be protected to a certain extent. I'm also a musician, and was laying down a guitar track today. The producer said to play this ZZ Top riff that everyone knows, then change it enough so that it was my own...I guess that should be what we do, take our influences and create something new with them. Clearly, I don't think people should be able to steal imagery or music.

Parking Lot in the Rain by Nick Weber

BS: As you know, the economy has been hard. Have you had to change-- or should I say adapt-- your practice due to the economy?

NW: Well I make a living as a portrait painter, and people have been a tad more reluctant to drop several thousand dollars for a portrait when they have lost more than a third of their money. So I have had to become more of a salesman, and think really hard about why people should get their portraits done. I've got some good reasons, the most important of which is to celebrate existence -- especially in tough times.

BS: Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your art?

NW: just that I hope I keep doing it and continue to figure out some of the mysteries of life and art in the process.

Nick Weber is currently a member of the myartspace.com community. You can read more of my interviews by visiting the following page-- www.myartspace.com/interviews.